You might know that I went to seminary, which may seem like an unusual choice for someone who majored in journalism and eventually circled back to what’s likely to be my last career choice. A number of my journalism friends have either attended a seminary or are considering doing so. We talked about that a lot this week at the Institute for Nonprofit News’ annual conference in Minneapolis.
It’s an interesting thing to consider, especially as extremists hijack faiths of all stripes. Last year, we lost the renowned Jürgen Moltmann, who once said, “To reinvent your own country, you need a great audacity of hope.” Our country is reinventing itself right now, and as I see it, not for the better. Much of what we hold dear is crumbling around us, from the national security strategy ending up in a group chat to two of the world’s most powerful men engaging in petty social-media beefs. Rich and powerful men who should be concentrating their wealth and influence on solving systemic issues, not engaging in petty adolescent fights on social media. Actually, I take that back. I think most adolescents have more noble pursuits to engage in.
Last month, the incomparable Nick Judin reported on Kasper Eriksen, a Mississippi man who was detained by ICE during what was supposed to be one of his final steps toward citizenship.
That story was followed by an editorial from the equally incomparable news editor Ashton Pittman, who responded to some readers who were angry that we covered this Mississippi family’s plight without fixating on who they supported in our last election cycle; some believe this man and his family did not deserve fair treatment under our immigration system or empathy for their situation.
If you are a person of reasonable faith, Ashton’s words should resonate with you because it’s not just about who deserves fairness, but who decides that anyway? It’s about recognizing that fair treatment under our government, or the universe, or our god, should be extended to everyone.
I don’t remember studying Moltmann in seminary, but as with many deaths, both close and far, I’m now looking at his work and words more deeply. As I said, it might seem odd that so many journalists are also people of faith. Frankly, it is something we don’t typically talk about publicly for all the reasons you might expect. We don’t want people to think of us as unkind or judgmental, or as one of those who pronounce the name of our gods with such certainty and yet so little grace or understanding.
But over the last few years, many of us have come to the conclusion that keeping quiet about it was a terrible idea.
I’m no Washington insider, but part of me wonders if the demand for our elected officials and their families to spend more time at home and less time in D.C. has hurt our republic. How do you know a colleague if you don’t share the occasional meal, sit with them at church or pass them at school drop-offs? How do you learn the big and small things that make them human, like if they are dealing with an aging parent, or working on getting their blood pressure under control or how their bathroom flooded over the weekend? We all have baggage and are dealing with the trials of everyday life.
That’s why good journalism matters. On the good days, it helps us stop seeing our neighbors as the caricatures they’re often reduced to in public dialogue. I usually tell national partners that journalism is good at reporting the facts about a community, but frequently misses the truth.
Our work isn’t just about reporting facts; it’s about fostering relationships and sparking dialogue, like we do with our signature Solution Circles, and encouraging deeper engagement with the communities we call home.
This MFP Voices opinion essay reflects the personal opinion of its author(s). The column does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.
